What Is Baby Acne?

The bumps of baby acne are quickly short-lived evidence of the connection between a mother’s body and her baby’s. During the final moments of pregnancy, her hormones cross the placenta into her child. Among other things such as maturing the lungs, this stimulates the oil glands on the skin, eventually giving rise to the baby acne. Baby acne is a common newborn condition. It can be present at birth, but typically appears at 3 to 4 weeks of age.


Though it might be something that some aren’t aware of, baby acne can indeed occur, and is actually quite common. Acne is something that’s common, even expected, in adolescents and young adults, since the changes that a body goes through, hormones, and so on make outbreaks likely. However, new parents may be surprised to find that what appears to be acne on their baby. 

Appearance Of Baby Acne

Often baby acne appears as small pimples on your child’s face, often with small whiteheads. These fleshy or red pimples occur predominately on the cheeks, but are also quite common on the forehead and chin. Whiteheads are sometimes present. This rash can occur on your baby’s cheeks, forehead, or chin, and can be aggravated by saliva, spit-up milk or formula, or fabrics washed in strong detergent. Baby acne is the most common a few weeks after birth. If the rash looks more like skin that’s scaly, chances are it’s probably another problem, such as eczema. The baby acne will be most noticeable when the baby is hot or fussy which increases blood flow to the skin, or when the skin is irritated. If the skin comes into contact with cloth laundered in harsh detergents, or becomes wet from spit-up saliva or milk, the condition may appear worse for several days.

Treating Baby Acne

Typically, no treatment is necessary. It can help to gently cleanse the face once a day with water, and perhaps mild baby soap. Oils and lotions do not help, and may aggravate the condition.

The problem of baby acne is usually a short-lived one, lasting only a few weeks. If the acne is severe or lasts beyond 6 months, your pediatrician may prescribe a mild medicine to help.
However, until then, refrain from trying to treat it yourself. Use of acne medicines that you can get at the store is ill-advised, since creams and oils can actually make your baby’s acne worse. In addition to this, babies often have sensitive skin, and the use of acne medication can cause severe discomfort and irritation.
Too much cleaning can also irritate a baby’s skin and further worsen the baby acne, so when you do wash your baby’s face, do it once a day with mild soap and water. Do not try to scrub the area, and make sure to pat the affected area dry instead of rubbing the area. Keep in mind that baby acne does not seem to be caused by dirt and other problems, such as in adults. In the case of baby acne, it’s best to be patient and simply wait for the problem to die out naturally. Unlike in teens and adults, babies aren’t bothered by the sight of acne, so letting it run its course won’t traumatize the child.  Simply know that it’s a common problem and will go away.

You can expect that the rash will soon be a memory. The oil glands will disappear, and you won't see the acne again until you turn around once, and your baby is a teenager. This time the acne will be evidence of hormones transforming your baby into an adult. Baby acne is a normal part of development that is difficult to prevent. Try to take many pictures before the baby acne begins.

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